Acetylene-gas generator



No. 625,827. Patented May 30, I899. a

C. M. CAMP.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Aug. 6, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheek l.

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C. M. CAMP.

ADETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Aug. 6, 1898.)

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Wihgzsszs U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. CAMP, on NAVASOTA, TEXAS.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,827, dated May 30,1899.

Application filed August 6, 1898. Serial No- 68'h969. (No model.)

To all] whom it may concern:

Be it known that LOHARLES M. CAMP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Navasota, in the county of Grimes and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Acetylone-Gas Generator, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas generators; andthe prime object is to construct and arrange the several elements tosecure the automatic operation of the machine and promote the simplicityand durability of the construction. A further object of the invention isto pro Vide means by which the gas is cooled as it passes into thegasometer and the escape of gas from the gasometer back to the generatoris prevented when the latter is opened for recharging the carbid vessel.

Further objects of the invention are to support the carbid vessel withinthe generator in a novel manner and permit of its ready introduction andremoval, to provide for the es cape of gas from the generator previousto recharging the carbid vessel therein and also permit the escape ofair prior to the resumption of gas generation, and to provide for theautomatic venting of the gasometer should the pressure therein exceedthe desired limit.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combinationof elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated thesame in the accompanyin g drawin gs,formin g apart of thisspecification, and in which-- 1 Figure 1 is an elevation of theapparatus partly in section and showing the generator in its loweredposition to bring the active layer of carbid in contact with the Waterfor the generation of acetylene gas. Fig. 2 is also a verticaltransverse section of the apparatus, illustrating the bells of thegenerator and gasometer in their raised positions and adapted to raisethe carbid vessel from contact with the liquid.

Like numerals denote like parts in both figures of the drawings.

1 designates the tank of the gasometer, and 2 is the gasometer-bell.This bell is closed at its upper end and is immersed within the watercontained within the tank 1, which thus forms the seal against theescape of gas from the gasometer. Secured rigidly to the outside of thewater-tank is a vertical guide-bail 3, which straddles said tank andlies over the bell 2 at a line above the limit of the upward movement ofsaid bell, and this fixed bail 3is provided at its center with avertical guideeye 4. a

5 designates the tubular guide-stem,which is securedto the head of agasometer-bell and depends therein a suitable distance. This tubularstem is secured rigidly to the head of the bell 2 by a boss 6, that isattached to the bell and surrounds the guide-stem, and this boss servesto reinforce and strengthen the joint between the bell and the tubularstem. The tubular stem passes freely through the guide-eye 4 on thefixed bail,.and within the bell this stem is extended, as at 7 in Fig.2, to have its lower end normally immersed in the water contained withinthe gasometertank.

8 designates the tank of the generator,adapted to contain Water up tothe level in the'gasometer-tank, and within this tank 8 is looselyfitted the generator-bell 9, which is adapted toplay freely in the tankand is immersed at its lower open end in the water, which forms a sealagainst the escape of gas from the generator to the outside atmosphere.I preferably construct the generator-bell with a movable head 10, hereinshown as attached securely to the bell bya threaded joint; but it isobvious that other means for clamping the head 10 removably to the bell9 may be adopted.

12 designates a vent-pipe which is secured rigidly to the removable headof the generatorbell, and this vent-pipe is provided with a cook orvalve 13, which may be opened to permit of the escape of gas from thegenera 5 tor previous to detaching thehead 10 from the generator-bell,so as to obtain access to the carbid vessel, and said valve may also beopened prior to the resumption of gas gen eration for the free egress ofthe air which may accumulate in the generator when it is opened forrecharging the carbid vessel.

The bells of the generator and gasometer are joined together forsimultaneous vertical play bya connecting gas-pipe 14,which serves adouble purpose in that it insures equal travel to the two bells 2 and 9and provides for the passage of gas from the generator to the gasometer.One end of this connectingpipe 14 is coupled to the vent-pipe 12 by a T-coupling 15, which is fastened to the pipe 12 at a point between itscock 13 and the attachment of the pipe 12 to the generator-bell, andthis pipe 14 is rigidly fastened, as at 15, to the head of thegasometer-bell. The end of the pipe 14 is extended through the bell, asat 16 in Fig. 2, to have its lower extremity terminate substantially inthe horizontal plane of the terminal of the guide-stem 5, and thisextended end of the connecting-pipe is thus adapted to be immersednormally in the tank 1.

17 designates the carbid vessel,which is perforated, as at 18, toprovide for the free passage of gas therein. This carbid vessel isherein shown as a cylinder having an inverted conical lower head and anopen upper end, and said vessel is adapted to be charged with calciumcarbid, which may be easily placed therein through the open upper end.The carbid vessel extends a suit-able distance through thegenerator-bell, and it is removably supported therein by a vertical stem19. This stem is a rod or bar of metal secured rigidlyto the apex of theinverted head formin g a part of the carbid vessel, and at its lower endsaid stem is bent to form a foot 20,which terminates in a hook 21,adapted to be thrust into an opening 22, which is provided in the wallof the gasometer-bell, near the open lower end thereof.

The gas to be supplied to the distributingpipe system of a dwelling orother structure is conveyed from the gasometer through an outlet-pipe23, suitably attached to the gas-- ometer-tank, near the lower endthereof, and having a vertical branch which extends upwardly through thewater in the tank 1 and into the gas-chamber of the bell 2. Thisoutlet-pipe maybe connected to the distributingpipe in any suitable way,and it is provided with a cook 24, which may be closed to cut off thepassage of gas from the gasometer.

To obtain access to the carbid vessel, the generator-bell isdisconnected from the head and lowered into the tank 8 sufficiently forthe operator to reach the carbid vessel 17. This vessel may bemanipulated to detach the hook-shaped foot from the bell 9 and enablethe vessel 17 to be withdrawn from the apparatus. The vessel may becharged with fresh calcium carbid,and it should then be replaced withinthe generator-shell to have the hook-shaped foot enter the aperture inthe bell 9, after which the bell itself should be connected with thehead. The cock 13 in the vent-pipe 12 may now be opened for the aircontained within the generator to escape through the pipe 12 and allowthe bell 9 to settle within the tank 8 for the carbid to be attacked bythe water. The chemical decomposition of the water and carbid at onceresults in the generation of acetylene gas, which is free to passthrough the perforated vessel 17 and the bell 9 to and through the pipe14 and its branch 16. As the gas emerges from the pipe branch 16 it isdischarged into the liquid contained within the gasometer-tank, throughwhich the gas passes and accumulates in the chamber of the bell 2, untilthe quantity and pressure of gas within the bell is sufficient to raisethe bell 2, the pipe 14, and the hell 9 far enough to withdraw thecarbid vessel from the water of the tank 8, thereby arresting thegeneration of gas. It should be understood that the cook 13 in theventpipe 12 is closed immediately after the gas generation begins, andthe gas is thus caused to pass from the generator through the pipe 14 16into the gasometer. Ry immersing the lower end of the pipe 16 in thewater of the gasometer the gas is caused to pass through the water seal,and is thereby cooled before it is permitted to accumulate in thegasometer-bell, and this arrangement of the pipe 16 is also advantageousbecause it prevents the gas from passing from the gasometer back to thegenerator when the latter is opened in taking out or replacing thecarbid vessel, the water in which the pipe 16 is immersed serving as aseal to the pipe 14 and obviating the employment of a separate cook orvalve to cut off communication between the generator and gasometer.

The tubular guide-stem 5 serves to direct the hell 2 in its verticaltravel, because this stem plays freely in the eye of the bail 3, and thelowerend of this tubular stem 5 is normally immersed in the water of thetank 1, thus preventing the passage of gas through the tubular stem 5when normal conditions prevail. In the event that the gas accumulates inthe'bell 2 above the desired limit the bell will be raised sufiicientlyto withdraw the lower end of the tubular stem 5 from the water-tank 1,and the gas will thus be free to escape through the tubular stem untilthe quantity or pressure is reduced and the bell 2 settles back into thewater of the tank 1 suificiently to again immerse the lower extremity ofthe stem 5, thereby sealing the latter.

It will be observed that the guide-stem 5 serves a twofold purpose inthat it directs the gasometer-bell in its vertical travel and serves asa safety appliance to reduce the quantity or pressure of the gas whichaccumulates within the bell 2. In like manner the pipe 14 16 serves atwofold purpose, because it couples the bells 2 9 together to insuresimultaneous movement thereof,and it is sealed to prevent the gas frompassing from the gasometer to the generator, and by immersing the pipebranch 16 in the water of the gasometer the gas is subjected to theaction of the cool water, and it'is thereby cooled before it accumulatesin the bell 2.

The action of the apparatus is wholly automatic and depends upon thequantity or pressure of gas which may be stored in the gasometer. Theparts are simple in construction and they are efficient'and reliable inoperation. The generator and gasometer may be manufactured economicallyfrom sheet metal. Suitable conducting tubes or pipes may be attached tothe vent-pipe 12 and the tubular guide-stem 5 to convey the gas or airto the outside of a building. If desired, the bells of the gasometer andgenerator may be counterbalanced by devices well known to those skilledin the art. 7

Changes may be made in the form of some of the parts while theiressential features are retained and the spirit of the inventionembodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the precise form of allthe parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

The employment of the depending stem with the foot at its lower end as apart of the carbid vessel is an important feature in my apparatus,because in replacing the vessel after charging the same with freshcarbid within the generator-bell the stem is adapted to pass through thewater containing the generator-bell, and thus allow the carbid vessel tobe attached to the generator-bell when the latter is lowered without,however, permitting the liquid to attack the carbid in the vessel duringthe attachment of the vessel to the bell and the replacement of the bellon the head, to which are connected the pipes 12 14.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In anacetylene-gas generator, the combination with a gasometer and agenerator, of a connecting-pipe coupled to the bells of the gasometerand generator to insure simultaneous movement of both bells and having abranch which extends through the bell of the gasometer and is immersedin thewater seal of said gasometer, substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with a gasometerhaving a verticallymovable bell, of a generator constructed with amovable bell, a carbid vessel supported within the generator-bell andmovable therewith, a ven t-pipe leading from'the generatorbell andprovided with a valve or cock, and av connecting-pipe attached to thevent-pipe below the cock therein and having a branch which extends intothe gasometer-bell for immersion in the water-seal of the gasometer,substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a generator comprising a tank, a bellprovided with a removable head, a valved vent-pipe secured to the headof said bell, a perforated carlbid vessel, and a supporting-stemattached to the bottom of the carbid vessel and provided with a footwhich is detachably engaged with the bell, substantially as described.

4. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a gasometer comprising a tank, aguide-bail secured rigidly thereto, a bell having the reinforcingboss,and a tubular guide-stem secured rigidly to the head of said bell andpassing freely through an eye of the'guide-bail, said tubular stemextending into the bell for its lower extremity to be immersed normallyin the liquid seal of the tank, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. CAMP.

Witnesses:

SAM MADELEY, C. S. TALIAFERRQ,

